How to Grow Salix Integra
Salix integra
Salix integra is a compact ornamental willow prized for its pink, white, and green variegated foliage, especially the popular 'Hakuro-nishiki' cultivar. Plant in full sun for the best colour in moist soil — it tolerates damp ground well. Hard prune in late winter to encourage a fresh flush of brightly coloured new growth; this can be done annually as a pollard or cut to a low framework. Water regularly, especially in dry spells, as willows are thirsty plants.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Apply a balanced fertiliser in spring after hard pruning to fuel vigorous new growth. A mulch of well-rotted compost around the base also helps retain moisture and feeds the roots slowly.
Watch For
- Willow leaf beetle — skeletonises leaves in summer
- Willow aphids — large colonies on shoot tips producing sticky honeydew
- Willow scab — dark spots on leaves in cool wet springs
- Willow rust — orange pustules on leaf undersides in summer
- Willow sawfly larvae — strip foliage in groups
Track your Salix Integra care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks
Start planning freeCare Requirements
☀️ Light
Full sun for best variegated colour
Full sun to partial shade. Best variegated foliage colour develops in full sun. Tolerates some shade but pink tones fade.
💧 Watering
Keep moist, water regularly in dry spells
Prefers consistently moist soil. Water regularly, especially in dry spells and during the first two years. Tolerates damp ground well.
🌱 Fertilizing
Balanced feed in spring, mulch for moisture
Apply a balanced fertiliser in spring. Mulch with compost to retain moisture. Responds well to feeding after hard pruning.
✂️ Pruning
Hard prune in late winter for best foliage colour
Hard prune in late winter to encourage fresh, colourful new growth. Can be cut back to a framework or pollarded annually for the best pink, white, and green foliage.
Growing Tips
Hard prune for colour
Hard prune in late winter to encourage fresh, brightly coloured new growth — the best pink tones appear on young shoots.
Sun for best colour
Plant in full sun for the most vivid variegation; pink tones fade noticeably in shade.
Keep moist
Keep soil consistently moist — willows are thirsty plants and will struggle in dry conditions.
Feed after pruning
Feed after hard pruning in spring to support the vigorous regrowth that produces the best foliage display.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Willow Leaf Beetle
Identification: Metallic blue-green beetles and dark larvae skeletonising leaves; heavy frass on foliage
- Hand-pick beetles and larvae from small plants
- Encourage birds and parasitic wasps as natural predators
- Contact pyrethrin spray for severe infestations on young plants
Pest Willow Aphids
Identification: Dense clusters of green or grey aphids on shoot tips and leaf undersides; sticky honeydew and sooty mould
- Blast off with a strong jet of water
- Encourage ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies
- Fatty acid spray for heavy infestations
Pest Willow Sawfly
Identification: Pale green caterpillar-like larvae feeding in groups on leaves; defoliation of branches
- Hand-pick larvae when spotted
- Encourage birds — blue tits are particularly effective
- Contact pyrethrin spray if defoliation is severe
Disease Willow Scab Venturia saliciperda
Symptoms: Dark brown or black spots on leaves in spring; shrivelled shoot tips; premature leaf drop
Treatment: Prune out and destroy affected shoots. Improve air circulation.
Prevention: Avoid overhead watering. Ensure good spacing. Remove fallen leaves in autumn.
Disease Willow Rust Melampsora spp.
Symptoms: Bright orange or yellow pustules on leaf undersides in summer; premature leaf drop in severe cases
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves. Rake up fallen foliage in autumn.
Prevention: Ensure good air circulation. Avoid overcrowding. Choose resistant cultivars where available.
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 150 cm |
| Row spacing | 200 cm |
| Mature height | 200 cm |
| Mature spread | 150 cm |
Compact ornamental willow reaching 1.5-3m. Prized for pink, white and green variegated foliage. Prune hard in late winter for best colour. Prefers moist soil and full sun to partial shade.
Log Salix Integra in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year
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